Differences Between the 5 Most Popular Flamenco Dances

Flamenco is one of the most popular Spanish dances in the world. An inexperienced audience might think the dance is always the same; but as soon as you learn even a little about it, you can start to distinguish the enormous differences that exist between each style. Check out the differences between the 5 most popular flamenco dances out there.

Tango The tango is one of the most well-known types flamenco dance because of its popularity in movies and other media. This style is associated with romance and passion, and even though it may not look like it, it is one of the easiest styles to dance.
The “compas” (or rhythmic style) of the tango is a cycle of 12 beats in simple 4/4 time, easy for any level dancer and well-known because of the dancers’ poses. There are many forms of the tango, for example, tangos from Cadiz and tangos from Granada are not the same. But in most cases, the tango is the best flamenco dance for learning techniques such as the “redoble” and “cierres” and to be able to dance these steps faster and faster.

Sevillanas This is possibly the most international of all flamenco styles, although including it among different styles of flamenco or treating it as a style all its own is controversial. The truth is that many of its steps and movements serve as the basis for other flamenco styles, making sevillanas neutral through excellence. Sevillanas is made up of four parts, with almost identical movements and steps that go between each part. The timing of the dance is marked in three beats with the stress falling on the first beat.

Bulería This style is one of the fastest types of flamenco dance and so, is the most difficult to learn. The compas is a cycle of 12 beats, with the accent on the 3, 6, 8, 10 and 12 beats or on the 3, 7, 8, 10 and 12 beats.The essence of the bulería is humor and fun, and because of this, almost all of them are made up of fast, lively movements, that, once learned, give the artist full command over the compas of the dance.

Alegría The compas of the alegría is a 12 beat cycle with stress on the same beats as the bulería. It is also a very fast and happy dance, although it is characteristic for including rests with harmonies where turns and arm movements are the focus. To master the alegría means knowing one of the most important styles of flamenco and controlling aspects as complex as falsetas, escobillas, cierres and llamadas.

Fandango
The fandango has a 12 beat cycle compas in 3/4 time for the first cycle, or 2/6 for the first and fourth cycles. It is a folk dance that brings a majestic and elegant air together with happy movements all in one style. Coordinating arms and feet is indispensible to dance this dance correctly.